SAB’s first ESG report is measured against the internationally recognised Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standard. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is the most used, structured set of interrelated standards of reporting on ESG issues, it enables organizations to understand and report on their impacts on the economy, environment, and people in a comparable and credible way, thereby increasing transparency on their contribution to sustainable development.
Following the launch of its ESG strategy in September 2022, the South African Breweries (SAB) has released its first ESG Report. This report digs deep into the positive impact the country’s largest brewery had in the country in 2021 with a strong focus on responsibility, climate resilience and entrepreneurship.
The report showcases key SAB milestones including the company’s adoption of renewable energy, its mission to increase water availability, and the progress made in supporting 30,000 rural and township SMEs by 2025, to name a few.
We have been thinking long and hard about what it means to be a sustainable company. The launch of our ESG strategy in September demonstrated our commitment to creating growth and value for all our stakeholders and a more resilient business says SAB VP of Corporate Affairs Zoleka Lisa. “The impetus behind our ESG strategy comes from a deep review of the business’s role and impact in the value chain across South Africa and the communities in which we operate.”
Lisa says this first-of-its-kind SAB ESG Report is an objective measure that allows SAB to prove its commitment to critical societal issues. It not only showcases the goals SAB has committed to, but highlights the tangible results achieved in pursuit of these goals.
“Our mission for this report was to ensure that we use GRI index to deliver the highest level of transparency. The report also covers our approach to assessing and managing the issues that are most important to our business and our communities,” says Lisa. “It also outlines the progress we have made in this country over the 2021 period against the goals and programmes we developed to build environmental resilience, encourage responsible consumption of alcohol, and promote inclusive growth and sustainable livelihoods across our value chain.”
The ESG report also includes SAB’s governance and policies that support that support the inclusion of its goals and programmes in the decision-making process, going into detail on how SAB conducts business with the highest standards of business integrity and ethics.
Although ESG disclosures have long been voluntary, Lisa says the issues should form part of the foundation of SAB’s planning and operations across the entire value chain. “We are open about our commitments and want to prove that we are not greenwashing and are completely committed to our promises through tangible action.”
As part of the Anheuser-Busch InBev group, Lisa says SAB is aligned to global ESG commitments and have been since the merger in 2016. “Given the growing importance of ESG in contemporary business operations, we felt it necessary to apply an extra focus to ESG and provide the proof that goes with it. This is how we extend our impact and dream big to create a future with more cheers. “
Download the full SAB 2022 ESG Report here discover how South Africa’s largest beer business is creating ‘a future with more cheers’.
